Top 5 Motorised folding treadmills

The treadmill, easily a contender for the single most popular piece of exercise equipment ever designed. No other exercise presents the physiological or psychological benefits offered (so readily) by running. Humans love to run, even if don’t realise. Our connection to our primal selves has become diluted through the stresses of modernity, we love to run. Running is a form of meditation, an opportunity to empty our minds of the stresses that cloud our vision, an escape from our world of perpetual distraction, the time consuming demands of social media and the ceaseless self-accusing internal rhetoric.

Running brings us back to the earth, that most beautiful work of art, so many of us have overlook in favour of the trappings of our consumer driven society. It communicates deeply to the hunter-gatherer buried deeply inside us all.

Humans are energy, a mass conglomeration of biology, chemistry and physics that need to keep moving, if we don’t keep moving that energy tends to turn negative. The effects of that negative energy are plain to be seen in the profits of the drug companies. I believe Running is a drug, it’sthe natural drug.

Whilst pounding the pavement or sprinting hard up hills is obviously the most exciting way to enjoy our runs, sometimes we can’t always manage it. Thankfully in 1818, a genius Englishman by the name of Sir William Cubbit, decided to find a solution for keeping idle prisoners busy. The treadmill was born.

Things have come a long, long way in the last 200 years, Treadmills now hold more technology than the first rocket to land on the moon. Anyway enough history, let’s get back to fitness. Below is a comparison of 5 of my favourite motorised folding treadmills. And no, unfortunately Sir Cubbits design doesn’t make the list.

JTX Slim-Line Review – Our Number 1

A great looking and stylish product by JTX (SHOP NOW!) that is really easy to setup and get running . Once you’re finished it folds neatly flat to be stored away cosily in the corner, a large cupboard or even under the bed! I’ve reviewed plenty of JTX products and have never been disappointed so I’m rightly excited about this one. It has a max user weight of 110kg and a yearlong home warranty. JTX will send out an engineer to repair should any faults arise.

The JTX slim line offers a fully digital incline and is the only similar product on the market to do so. This is great because it means should you wish to increase your workout intensity mid-run, you no longer need to stop the machine.

The product has a digital display that shows your kcals burned, running speed and distance covered amongst several other important details.

Unlike most other home exercise equipment this JTX product comes 99% fully assembled.

This treadmill has a large track with multiple shock absorption points to reduce the impact on fragile joints. (I also recommend purchasing a foam roller and rolling your calf muscles daily)

Another great job by JTX, I only expect quality when I find out I’m going to be reviewing one of their products. The design is always spot on, the functionality, excellent. The ingenuity and creativity of this team is of the highest order.

JLL S300 Review – Number 2

The JLL S300 folding treadmill is a great option for a home folding treadmill. Delivered requiring assembly it comes with the necessary tools provided, and is a relatively easy job, there are one or two issues with loose bolts but this is fairly easily rectified. I rang the customer care team and they were prompt and accurate with their answers. The treadmill looks good, has a large running track and the noise level is low, although slightly louder than the above.

The treadmill has 20 levels of incline and a top speed of 16km/h max speed. This is more than enough for any treadmill, home or commercial. Running on an incline is great for your hamstrings and glutes, two muscle groups that don’t get hit as much when running on a flat treadmill.

This Product features 15 pre-set programs of varying levels of difficulty, ideal for preparing someone from beginner level to the point where they are ready to take on their first half marathon.

This machine has digital technology that controls the increases in speed, giving it a safer more organic feel rather than the jerky sudden increase which in my experience almost causes the heart to jump out of the mouth.

The machine has heart rate sensors built into the handrails so you can just (slow down, never hold on at top speed) grab on and get a mid-workout reading. No need for those awkward chest straps

The JLL is absolutely full of cool gadgets and functions that make it an excellent choice for a home treadmill. The Folding function works really well. It’s not quite to the same standard as the JTX on the folding front but that is counterbalanced by an awful lot of functionality. The machine is stable, sturdy and ready to go. A good buy in anyone’s book.

V-Fit Fit-Start Review – Number 3

This affordable V-Fit folding treadmill is of a basic design perfect for those brand new to exercise and looking for a cost-effective way to build fitness and confidence from home. It has a maximum speed of 8km/h which is not going to be fast enough for an intermediate or advanced level runner, it is undeniably ideal for a number of populations, anybody brand new and lacking confidence, athletes looking for slow recovery work in the evenings, the housebound looking to maintain some level of wellness and late stage pregnancies amongst others.

The Fit start has a 500w motor making it nice and safe for inexperienced users or special populations.

This product features a 3-point incline to add variety and hit slightly different muscle groups.

The treadmill has a multi-function display monitor which provides information including calorie burn, speed and distance and pulse readings enabling you to keep track of your progress.

This V-Fit treadmill has a Safe-T-Key emergency stop function which prevents nasty accidents from happening.

This product has excellent benefits for special populations that cannot be overstated, it is an area often overlooked by most companies and the super low cost make it a great choice for those looking to exercise but find the expense of home equipment a restriction to getting started on a training programme and ultimately changing their lives for the better. For those families and individuals I really recommend this affordable and generous V-Fit product.

Olympic 2000 DK-19 Review – Number 4

This is an affordable and attractive piece of kit which operates just as well if not better than any top brand product available in this price range. It’s almost as sturdy as a treadmill that you will find in your local gym. The Folding mechanism is controlled by a hydraulic pump making the folding process nice and simple. The product comes 99% assembled so you can pull it out the box and get running right away if needs be. It can handle a maximum weight of 110kg.

To prevent damaging knee impact the machine features 6 levels of shock absorption, impact is the biggest issue with running and all possible precautions should be met in order to prevent exasperation. All and any knee pain that persists longer than (maximum) one week should be presented to a physio. The only help a GP can offer is to give you the referral to the physio.

This treadmill has a maximum speed of 14km/h, while not the fastest this is more than enough for a home treadmill. Treadmills can be dangerous, I have seen many examples of hubris reduced to a pile of moans and groans

This treadmill has an incline feature adjustable up to 5%

This product has USB input that plays various digital formats, with on board speakerskeeping you nice and entertained to help you work through the pain.

I’m really impressed with this piece of equipment, for a decent price you get an awful lot of kit. It can’t win the day because a couple of the others have been exceptional but I seriously recommend it to anyone other than perhaps the most advanced runners.

Ancheer 2017 model Review – Number 5

It seems that the best may have been saved until last. I’m a lover of beauty in all things, and for a treadmill, this may sound a little sad, this is beautiful. I love it. Really easy assembly, more than manageable by one person. It folds to become a great saver of space. The value for money is excellent and it consistently performs to provide a perfect work out. Now for some facts and Features.

You can use your mobile phone to control the machine, all you need to do is download ‘G-Fit’ and connect it up via Bluetooth.

The machine has 2 manual incline levels to help intensify your workout and reduce stress on your joints.

You can connect up your MP3 player to the high quality integrated speakers.

The machine has a tablet holder so you can watch your favourite film, shows or documentaries while you train, giving you that extra little bit of motivation to keep you going longer.

The Ancheer 2017 model looks great and has a wide range of fantastic features and considering what’s on offer the price is very reasonable. This is another treadmill where a lot of work and thought has gone into the production and it shows. My experience was a really smooth run with incline settings that are exactly right to make this an excellent choice for any home.

Verdict

Lots of quality machines reviewed here, picking a direct and conclusive winner is difficult. The V-Fit although by far the least impressive technically and in terms of power is so perfect for so many people who otherwise would find exercise restrictive that subjectively it has to be my favourite.

However the hunt is to find the best treadmill and it came really close, but all things considered the design of the JTX wins out. Time and time again they produce excellent equipment at great prices and clearly have the consumer in mind.